Retriggering

We all enjoy getting things for free, don’t we? It’s just something that’s inbuilt, for sure. In fact, there’s no better feeling than managing to claim something that we haven’t had to pay for, and the feeling is exactly the same when it comes to slot games. Anyone who has indulged in playing slot games before will no doubt have come across freespins rounds. Those are, of course, a great thing in themselves. The feeling that you’ve placed a wager for a single spin, only to then be on the receiving end of eight or 10 or 15 or even more free spins of the reels with no extra bet needed. That’s excitement.

But, what about the trigger that set the free spins in motion? Those scatter icons that fell in to place to provide them. Or the bonus icons that lined up to perfection during the main game. What should happen if they manage to show up again during the freespins round? Well, this is where Retriggering comes into effect.

What is Retriggering?

It’s one thing to be on the edge of your seat during a free spins round, but when the symbols that activated them in the first place occur once more during the round, this provides a further increase on the amount of spins you already have, often giving an amount equal to that which you received in the first place.

To put it simpler, if you managed to spin three scatter symbols in the base game of a product, and this acts as the game’s 20 freespins trigger, the round will begin. If, during the 20 free spins round, you manage to spin another three scatter icons, you’ll be provided with up to 20 more on top of the ones already in motion. Of course, this works like a charm for players who have placed a simple $5 wager on a single spin, and who are now getting a further 40 spins of the reels on top of their initial one.

Methods of Retriggering

In order to successfully enjoy extra rounds of freespins, you’ll usually need to see the set of icons appear on the reels after a spin that triggered the round in the first place. Many slot games tend to feature scatter icons in them, and often, these work as the trigger for freespins.

The premise is usually that if you spin three or more scatter icons, you’ll be rewarded with a certain amount of free spins, which differs from game to game. This is sometimes a fixed number for three, four or five scatters appearing on the reels, or the number will increase with the more scatters that appear. Should you then see three or more scatters fall onto the reels during the round, you’ll receive extra spins on top. Take, for example, Netent’s ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ game. Three or more scatter icons activate 10 freespins in the game, while three or more appearing during that round will provide you with five more.

Other games will have alternative ways of activating freespins, and consequently, retriggering them too. Like Netent’s ‘Dracula’, for example. The freespins round in this game is activated by two stacked symbols appearing across its second and fourth reels. This provides 10 free spins. Then, to retrigger a further two on top, the stacked wild icon needs to appear on the middle reel during the round.

The best way to discover if a game has a retriggering option included in it is to check its paytable. Normally, you’ll be able to find the method by which you can activate freespins here and whether or not further freespins can be awarded during the round.

Unlimited Freespins?

It seems like in this instance, it’s possible for a game to include an unlimited amount of free spins to its players, thanks to the fact that retriggering occurs with the appearance of symbols. In theory, freespins could be unlimited if you continue spinning three scatter icons during the round, or whatever the significant trigger may be.

It’s fairly common to see multiple amounts of freespins be awarded in a game when the triggering icons appear. However, it’s usually the case that the game will have some sort of cap on this happening, which will either be a set amount of retriggered freespins that can be achieved, or by you reaching a maximum amount of winnings from the freespins round. However, your luck would definitely need to be in to manage to reach a maximum amount of retriggers.

How Do Retriggers Help?

It may seem fairly obvious, but as mentioned previously, freespins are awarded after spinning certain icons at a certain wager amount. If you’ve placed a wager of $3 and you manage to receive 12 free rounds from the spin, you’ve basically saved yourself $36 in bets and given yourself a great chance of winning up and above past your initial wager. Should you retrigger free spins during the round, you’re only increasing your chances of boosting your balance even further.

So, when this kind of feature is included in a slot game, and it comes into effect, it provides you with multiple, and greater chances of winning big!